| Event: | Weightlifting |
| Games: | 1981 |
| Venue: | Nichols Air Base Gymnasium |
| Location: | Pasay, Philippines |
| Competitors: | 7–9 December |
| Prev: | 1979 |
| Next: | 1983 |
The Weightlifting at the 1981 Southeast Asian Games was held between 07 December to 09 December at Nichols Air Base Gymnasium, Pasay, Philippines.
| 52 kg Snatch |  Maman Suryaman | 105 kg (rec) |  Aung Gyi | 95 |  Salvador del Rosario | 95 | |
| 52 kg Clean & Jerk | Maman Suryaman | 122.5 | Aung Gyi Salvador del Rosario | 120 | |||
| 52 kg Total | Maman Suryaman | 227.5 (rec) | Aung Gyi | 215 | Salvador del Rosario | 210 | |
| 58 kg Snatch | Hadi Wihardja | 105 kg (rec) | Conny Theo | 102.5 | Samuel Alegada | 92.5 | |
| 58 kg Clean & Jerk | Hadi Wihardja | 127.5 | Conny Theo | 125 | Samuel Alegada | 117.5 | |
| 58 kg Total | Hadi Wihardja | 232.5 | Conny Theo | 227.5 | Samuel Alegada | 210 | |
| 60 kg Snatch | Sorie Enda Nasution | 120 kg (rec) |  Chua Koon Siong | 112.5 | Khin Myint | 110 | |
| 60 kg Clean & Jerk | Sorie Enda Nasution | 142.5 (rec) | Chua Koon Siong Khin Myint | 135 | |||
| 60 kg Total | Sorie Enda Nasution | 262.5 (rec) | Chua Koon Siong | 247.5 | Khin Myint | 245 | |
| 67,5 kg Snatch | Warino Lestanto | 122.5 kg (rec) | Chan Hon Choong | 90 | |||
| 67,5 kg Clean & Jerk | Warino Lestanto | 165 | Chan Hon Choong | 115 | |||
| 67,5 kg Total | Warino Lestanto | 287.5 (rec) | Chan Hon Choong | 205 | |||
| 75 kg Snatch | Ramon Solis | 120 kg | Hendrik Effendi | 120 | Renato Dio | 117.5 | |
| 75 kg Clean & Jerk | Ramon Solis | 155 | Hendrik Effendi | 152.5 | Kyaw Htet | 145 | |
| 75 kg Total | Ramon Solis | 275 | Hendrik Effendi | 272.5 | Renato Dio | 260 | |
| 82,5 kg Snatch |  Chui Banroongras | 122.5 | San Si Aye | 110 | Luis Bayanin | 105 | |
| 82,5 kg Clean & Jerk | Chui Banroongras | 155 | Halimana Sindharta | 155 | San Si Aye | 130 | |
| 82,5 kg Total | Chui Banroongras | 277.5 | San Si Aye | 250 | Luis Bayanin | 235 | |
| 90 kg Snatch | Joko Buntoro | 125 | Sann Myint | 120 | Syahril Noer | 115 | |
| 90 kg Clean & Jerk | Syahril Noer | 160 | Sann Myint | 155 | Joko Buntoro | 152.5 | |
| 90 kg Total | Joko Buntoro | 277.5 | Syahril Noer | 275 | Sann Myint | 275 | |
| 100 kg Snatch | Condro Adi | 122.5 | Peter Moran | 115 | Yosto Udom | 115 | |
| 100 kg Clean & Jerk | Condro Adi | 160 | Yosto Udom | 160 | Peter Moran | 135 | |
| 100 kg Total | Condro Adi | 282.5 | Peter Moran | 275 | Yosto Udom | 250 | |
| 110 kg Snatch | Kyaw Mint | 110 | Sarvindar Singh Chopra | 110 |  Yoke Teck Chong | 105 | |
| 110 kg Clean & Jerk | Sarvindar Singh Chopra | 142.5 | Kyaw Mint | 140 | Rogelio Alimbullo | 137.5 | |
| 110 kg Total | Sarvindar Singh Chopra | 252.5 | Kyaw Mint | 250 | Rogelio Alimbullo | 242.5 | |
| >110 kg Snatch | Jaime Sebastian | 125 (rec) | Pornpoj Premtoon | 115 | Pein Aung | 110 | |
| >110 kg Clean & Jerk | Jaime Sebastian | 175 (rec) | Pornpoj Premtoon | 150 | Pein Aung | 140 | |
| >110 kg Total | Jaime Sebastian | 300 (rec) | Pornpoj Premtoon | 265 | Pein Aung | 250 | |